Doctor says vape and heated tobacco products are viable solutions to smoking problem



Non-combustible alternatives like vapes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) are practical solutions to cigarette smoking epidemic, the world’s leading cause of preventable death and diseases, said a respected family doctor and tobacco harm reduction (THR) advocate.

Dr. Lorenzo Mata, president of Quit For Good, a non-stock, non-profit organization that advocates real, practical, and tangible solutions to the smoking problem, said the traditional ‘Quit or Die’ approach is not working to substantially reduce the risk of death and disease from smoking.

“In our country, there are almost 17 million smokers.  And a shocking rate of more than 117,000 Filipinos die each year due to tobacco smoking.  Equally alarming is the measly quit rate of 4-percent measured as of 2015 which largely remained unchanged from 2009,” he noted during the 4th Asia Harm Reduction Forum held virtually on June 28, 2021.

He recommended that another option must be provided to adult smokers who do not wish to quit. “Tobacco harm reduction, through the use and promotion of safer alternatives to combustible tobacco, should be employed to substantially reduce the risk of death and disease of smoking,” Dr. Mata said.

THR is defined by the 2021 Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction report as “a range of pragmatic policies, regulations and actions which either reduce health risks by providing safer forms of products or substances or encourage less risky behaviors.” 

Dr. Mata identified innovative electronic nicotine delivery systems which eliminates the combustion process, such as heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes or vapes, as examples of THR. 

“Beyond any reasonable doubt, vaping is considerably less harmful than combustible cigarettes. Almost all the harm done by cigarettes arises from the smoke which is caused by combustion. Vaping does not produce smoke—only vapor,” he said.

“What happens in smoking combustible tobacco is a chemical change.  What happens in vaping is a physical change,” he said. 

“In chemical change, this is brought about by extreme heat or combustion that causes oxidation of the original substance which then creates different chemical substances. The byproduct of oxidation is already totally different from the original substance. That is why from tobacco, it now comes out as smoke containing harmful substances where hundreds are toxic,” he further explained.

“When it comes to vaping, you just heat the liquid until it vaporizes. When you create vapor, you don’t change the original substance to a different one. This, my friends, makes a lot of difference in public health,” Dr. Mata said.

The doctor said that another alternative to cigarette, which has no combustion are HTPs. “Similar to e-cigarettes, there is no burning. But unlike vapes, nicotine is naturally found in the tobacco. By heating the tobacco without burning it, HTPs only produce vapor,” he said.

“Vapor products and HTPs are not completely risk-free but they only carry a small fraction of the risk of cigarettes.  Allow me to remind everyone, however, that the best way to avoid the harms of cigarette smoking is as simple as quitting completely,” Dr. Mata said.

Citing the conclusion of a 2021 Toxicology Report Journal review from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Japan, Dr. Mata said the “use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products could lead to a significant reduction in exposure to harmful substances compared to combusted cigarettes.” 

“These are just some of the many scientific studies supporting the less-harmful claims regarding electronic vaping products. The bottomline is this: the deadly effect of cigarette smoking is due to combustion of tobacco that produces smoke which contains carbon monoxide and more than 7,000 chemicals,” he said.

Dr. Mata said this means that vaping clearly is a viable alternative to cigarette smoking. “In line with this, we urge the government to consider the best possible differentiated legal framework through careful review of the science and evidence presented on the matter, and defend the right of the consumers to make better choices for themselves,” he said.

He said that “the considerably less harmful products should not be taken off the shelves while the very much harmful product remains easily accessible and that the harm reduction potential of electronic vapor products should be maximized instead and regulated to minimize the risk to the youth and the non-smokers.” 

The Asia Harm Reduction Forum is a non-profit and interdisciplinary organization that advances public health education for the improvement of lives and environments across the globe. It is an international avenue for experts, academics, and advocates to share and exchange research findings, product developments, and pragmatic solutions on tobacco harm reduction.

30 comments:

  1. You know your projects stand out of the herd. There is something special about them. It seems to me all of them are really brilliant! Heets

    ReplyDelete
  2. how to flavor cbd vape oil You there, this is really good post here. Thanks for taking the time to post such valuable information. Quality content is what always gets the visitors coming.

    ReplyDelete
  3. how to get cbd oil out of broken vape cartrige Wow! Such an amazing and helpful post this is. I really really love it. It's so good and so awesome. I am just amazed. I hope that you continue to do your work like this in the future also

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just found this blog and have high hopes for it to continue. Keep up the great work, its hard to find good ones. I have added to my favorites. Thank You. bong

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have read your blog it is very helpful for me. I want to say thanks to you. I have bookmark your site for future updates. ąø‚ąø²ąø¢ąøšุąø«ąø£ี่ą¹„ąøŸąøŸ้ąø²

    ReplyDelete
  6. You have made some really great points here. I hope numerous people are able to acquire access to this information. This is great quality of writing is deserving of attention. https://dynamichealthstaff.com/nursing-jobs-in-canada-for-indian-nurses

    ReplyDelete
  7. I had honestly best concluded to help make an important blog site, i usually hold recently been low quality in an attempt to achieve just for time on. Appreciates in addition to clear up, this is often functional! Smoke grenades for sale

    ReplyDelete
  8. Such sites are important because they provide a large dose of useful information ... HEETS online

    ReplyDelete
  9. Are you trying to find the Best c liquid usa? Organic scent has a lot of helpful sites as well as it is hard to discover. But you will find this at Flight ams at a sensible rate.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is my first visit to your web journal! We are a group of volunteers and new activities in the same specialty. Website gave us helpful data to work. Cheapest cigarettes in australia

    ReplyDelete
  11. Here you will learn what is important, it gives you a link to an interesting web page: 25 mg edible

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your blogs further more each else volume is so entertaining further serviceable It appoints me befall retreat encore. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay informed of any updates. wellness cbd gummies

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks for the nice blog. It was very useful for me. I'm happy I found this blog. Thank you for sharing with us,I too always learn something new from your post. dank vapes cartridges

    ReplyDelete
  14. If you have trouble sleeping, try using herbal incense . Because herbal incense might help you sleep better and keep your mind peaceful. You may, however, go to the Flight AMS website to get the finest herbal incense online.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Medical professionals worldwide have used marijuana for millennia to deal with many different ailments. Modern medicine guys are begrudgingly commencing to acknowledge medical marijuana can assist the treatment and cure of the many diseases. best online dispensary in Canada

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am a new user of this site so here i saw multiple articles and posts posted by this site,I curious more interest in some of them hope you will give more information on this topics in your next articles.  Samsung Galaxy S20 5G Price

    ReplyDelete
  17. very interesting post.this is my first time visit here.i found so mmany interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion..thanks for the post! Delta-8

    ReplyDelete
  18. Do you think you're an individual who believes that it drug can assist you in your battle and lives in a state or country where marijuana me is legal? https://online-dispensary.co/

    ReplyDelete
  19. This means you are living in a medical marijuana state and still have been approved to implement marijuana to treat your medical condition.. best weed strain

    ReplyDelete
  20. In 1986, the Surgeon General presumed that the utilization of smokeless tobacco "is certifiably not a protected substitute for smoking cigarettes. electric humidor

    ReplyDelete
  21. With the legalizing of marijuana for recreational use in California and other places, we find the industry alive and well. Maybe too well. You see, there are lots of specialty commercial growers who are pumping up the volume on the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content. THC, as you know, is the active ingredient in marijuana that gets you high.  edibles Canada

    ReplyDelete
  22. A normal vape pen is a rechargeable battery-powered device that is used for heating the vape tank. We have to fill the cartridge and recharge the batteries manually. disposable atomizer cartridges

    ReplyDelete
  23. I’m curious to find out what blog platform you are using? I’m experiencing some small security problems with my latest site and I’d like to find something more safeguarded. Do you have any recommendations? buy shatter online

    ReplyDelete
  24. I think this is an informative post and it is very useful and knowledgeable. therefore, I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article. dr. dabber switch

    ReplyDelete
  25. You made such an interesting piece to read, giving every subject enlightenment for us to gain knowledge. Thanks for sharing the such information with us to read this... fiyaman carts

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is a very interesting post. Your information related cannabis near me niagara is very important to me. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I was extremely pleased to discover this website. I need to thank you for your time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely liked every little bit of it and I have you saved it as a favorite to check out new stuff on your site. Here is my website on latest Crypto news and articles. If you have interest in this topic please do visit.

    ReplyDelete
  28. There can be no doubt that Britain is in the grip of a Skunk Cannabis epidemic as with the arrival of every new survey U.K. more teenagers are proved to smoke increasing amounts.  infiorescenza cannabis

    ReplyDelete
  29. So you have finally decided to stop smoking pot. Firstly, I applaud you for your decision. I know from personal experience, how much cannabis can take over your life. I also know exactly how tough it is to stop smoking pot once and for all. Therefore in this article I would like to provide some tips on how to quit smoking cannabis. sito marijuana domicilio

    ReplyDelete